The Unplanned Date
by XandriaValentina
Summary: Hitsugaya Toshiro doesn't know what is being planned behind his back by his scheming older sister and lieutenant: a date with the girl he's been in love with for years! But what will happen when the girl and he both think the other hates them? The whole Seireitei is in on the whole deal, minus the two biggest players. How will it all play out?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: The Plan and the Help

Hitsugaya Mizuki walked around the Tenth Division as she thought about her good friend, Hyoshi Arisu. Mizuki wanted to "hook up" her younger brother, the captain of the Tenth Division (and by far, the more mature one of the two siblings) Hitsugaya Toshiro with her midget friend. She has been thinking about this for a couple of months, but she hadn't been able to do a thing about it. First of all, the two she was trying to help by playing cupid were incredibly stubborn. Secondly, both were busy people. Mizuki decided that the best way to get the two stubborn workaholics together was to enlist the help of her best friend, Matsumoto Rangiku.

Mizuki snuck around as quietly as possible. If her brother were to catch her, he would question her endlessly and she would just have to tell him what she was up to. She was a terrible liar and he could read her like an open book. Undoubtedly, her punishment would be (cue shudders) paperwork.

Mizuki tried her hardest to conceal her Reistu and sneak past passing Shinigami without looking too inconspicuous. However, when the officers gave her strange and confused looks, Mizuki knew her ruse was over.

"Mizuki!" a female voice shouted from behind her.

Mizuki turned around quickly only to be hit in the face with giant breasts. Arms wrapped around Mizuki's small frame and forcibly held the young female in a death grip. Mizuki shrieked and cursed until she was able to wiggle out of the older female's grasp.

After regaining her breath, a small giggle escaped Mizuki's lips. "Well, hello Rangiku! I was just looking for you!"

"Looking for me?" The strawberry blonde repeated as she tilted her head to the left in a questioning gesture.

"Yes!" Mizuki exclaimed happily. She ushered her friend into a storage closet and closed the door. "Today, we are going to work together to get Shiro-chan and Arisu-chan together!"

Rangiku squealed and clapped her hands together happily. She nodded her head fervently, "Yes! Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!" She calmed down when they heard someone outside the door ask if they were alright. Both girls answered affirmatively and then lowered their voices to plan. "So, what are we going to do?" Rangiku asked.

Mizuki's right index finger began to tap her chin in a thoughtful manner. Both girls crouched down on the floor as they thought. They were both extremely quiet as they plotted in their heads. Neither one spoke out loud of their ideas; sometimes they shook their heads and sometimes they sighed to themselves.

"This is going to be harder than I thought…" Mizuki mumbled as Rangiku nodded. "I thought that since we were their closest friends the ideas would flow from us like curses from Ikkaku…"

Rangiku giggled, but then she gasped. "Wait! Why don't we set up a blind date with things that they both love? Then we just send them letters to the location and let the sparks fly!"

Mizuki clapped her hands and Rangiku mocked a bow. "That's a great idea, Rangiku!" Mizuki paused in her clapping, "What are Shiro-chan's and Arisu-chan's favorite things?"

Rangiku thought for a moment before she deadpanned, "Weren't you the one who said we know them the best and yet here you are asking that?"

Mizuki huffed. She swatted her hand at her best friend who easily dodged and snickered. "Oh shush! If you're so smart, answer the question!"

"Well, I think we both know about Taicho's favorite things such as watermelons, jasmine tea, spinning tops, winter, cold places, and sugared beans… Oh and he loves taking naps!" Rangiku said it as if she had recited it before.

Mizuki stared at her best friend for a moment. Of course, she had known all of those things (and a bit more), but she was honestly surprised that her ditzy best friend noticed all of those things about Toshiro. "Wow… Well, you're right on the dot about Shiro-chan. Arisu-chan is another story though…"

Rangiku and Mizuki were quiet for a moment as they realized that they didn't know anything about their petite friend's favorite things or hobbies.

"Let's go to the Sixth Division and investigate!" Mizuki suddenly shouted whilst pumping her fist into the air triumphantly.

Rangiku stared at her before shrugging. "Why not!"

The two quickly exited the storage room and escaped the Tenth Division barracks. They Shunpoed to the Sixth Division easily and without anyone noticing them. As they landed in the division's grounds, the Sixth Division Lieutenant, Abarai Renji, came out to meet them.

"Yo, Matsumoto-san, Hitsugaya-san!" he called with a friendly wave.

Mizuki blushed and quickly bowed her head in respect to the lieutenant before them. Rangiku snickered.

"Hey Renji! We need to talk to you and Kuchiki-taicho about Arisu-chan! Are you guys busy?" Rangiku asked sweetly.

Renji was visibly shocked at first, but he immediately grew serious. "What's wrong with Arisu?"

Rangiku immediately waved her hands in front of her to feign innocence, "it's not like that! Mizuki and I want to hook my taicho and her up is all. We need to know what she likes and we thought you and Kuchiki-taicho were the best people to go to ask!"

Mizuki nodded her head quickly. Rangiku wondered if she had lost her voice. It was painfully obvious the girl had feelings for the red head. Of course, said red head was as dense as the Sekkiseki and couldn't see it.

"Oh," Renji practically deflated in relief, "alright. Yeah, uh, we're not really doing anything besides paperwork." Renji turned and motioned for them to follow him. "So Hitsugaya-taicho, huh?" He titled his head back to peer at them and wiggled his tattooed eyebrows in a suggestive manner. Rangiku noticed Mizuki blushed furiously.

"Yeah," Rangiku responded as she nudged Mizuki in the ribcage to explain.

"Ow! Oh, uh… yeah! I noticed not that long ago that Shiro-chan would get all flustered when Arisu-chan would deliver paper or her name was mentioned in a conversation. Then later he would get all depressed. I know that she has had a crush on him since forever, but she won't admit it. They both are just far too stubborn to do anything!" Mizuki finished with a large sigh and a shake of her head. Rangiku noticed that Mizuki's nerves seemed to disappear as they continued on.

"Really?" Renji seemed genuinely surprised, "Kuchiki-taicho seemed to have noticed the depressed part in Arisu too, because he told her to take the day off today." There was a pause in the conversation as they continued to walk down the hallways of the Sixth Division. The three became absorbed in their own thoughts.

"How are you planning to get them together?" Renji finally asked as they entered the hallway with his and his taicho's office in it.

"We're doing a secret date with all of their favorite things in it!" Rangiku informed with a satisfied nod.

Renji didn't say anything as he called to his taicho in his office.

"Enter," came the monotonous reply of Kuchiki Byakuya, the Sixth Division taicho.

The trio shuddered as a chill reached their ears, but they entered the office anyway.

Kuchiki-taicho sat at his desk. He silently filled out his paperwork with regality that no one else in the Gotei Jūnsantai could pull off. He glanced up from his work as the two fokutaicho and the third seat entered his office. He looked up fully in silent question.

"Excuse us, Kuchiki-taicho, but Matsumoto-san, Hitsugaya-san and I were wondering if you could help us figure out Arisu's favorite things so we can…" Renji trailed off. He looked at his two female companions for help, but they offered nothing except blunt looks that told him to tell the truth. "So we can hook her and Hitsugaya-taicho up."

Kuchiki-taicho was silent for a moment and the three questioned in their heads about asking him (of all people) for help. He placed his brush down and stood from his desk. He walked around it and motioned for them to sit down on the couch that was in the shared office.

The trio glanced at each other in shock. They were surprised that he was being so cooperative. They quickly sat across from Byakuya. Rangiku purposefully made Mizuki sit between her and Renji. She had to hide her smug look when she noticed the red on Mizuki's cheeks.

"Have either Hitsugaya or Arisu expressed their feelings about the other to any of you?" Byakuya asked as he looked each one in the eyes.

"Eh…" Came Renji's nervous reply.

"Well…" Mizuki muttered as she fiddled with her thumbs in her lap.

"About that…" Rangiku started, but stopped when she looked back at Byakuya.

Byakuya refrained himself from sighing and shaking his head at the three. It was obvious they were lost, but at least their intentions were good.

"Fortunately," he interrupted their stutters, "I do know that Arisu does indeed harbor feelings for the Tenth Division taicho."

All three of the Shinigami sitting across from him gave him a surprised look, but only Renji voiced his surprise.

"Really, taicho?" He questioned. "Er… well, I mean… How do you know? Did Arisu tell you?"

Byakuya nodded once.

"Wow," Mizuki mumbled, "I can't believe she didn't tell me…" Mizuki frowned and stared at her hands. Rangiku placed her hands on Mizuki's and squeezed them in a comforting manner.

"She did not want anyone to do what you are trying to do now," Byakuya informed. "She knew that as her closest friends, you would try your hardest to make everyone happy no matter what."

Mizuki and Rangiku shared a glance and Renji sighed.

"What's so wrong with that?" Renji asked. It was obvious that this bit of information rubbed him the wrong way.

"Well," Rangiku answered, "She was probably scared what it would mean for Taicho. She knows that he is very stressed and that well… Everyone gets on his last nerve, so she probably thought she was just going to do the same. Especially since taicho doesn't show his true feelings around her… Or well, anyone for that matter."

Everyone ventured into their own thoughts as silence crept into the office. Mizuki thought about how she was going to get Toshiro to de-stress enough to enjoy the set-up date with Arisu. Rangiku went so far to think that she could possibly do her paperwork on the day of the date, so her taicho could enjoy himself, but she knew she wasn't a miracle worker. Renji wondered about how Arisu was going to react when she found out what they were planning (he knew she was going to find out one way or another). Byakuya's mind went back to the paperwork he had been finishing for Arisu on her day off.

The group sighed together (minus Byakuya). This was going to be far more difficult than they thought.

"Well," Mizuki broke the silence, "I still at least want to try. I mean, even if it blows up in our faces, it was still worth a try, right? I will take full responsibility for it because it was my idea."

"We're all in this together," Rangiku said as she looked at Renji and Byakuya. She hesitated, "Well, Kuchiki-taicho is just giving us information."

"I will help in any way I can," Byakuya said smoothly. His response got him three astonished looks from the Shinigami sitting across from him. "Arisu is my third seat and what happens to her is my business."

The others wondered if that was his only reason, but they all knew too well not to question Kuchiki Byakuya. They were, however, notably grateful for the taicho's offered assistance.

"We can start with favorite snacks and foods," suggested Rangiku.

"Dango and jasmine tea," Renji said after he thought for a moment. Mizuki nodded in agreement.

"She loves to play Shoji," Kuchiki-taicho said thoughtfully. The others' eyes asked their silent questions. "More than once she and I have played together." The taicho answered.

"She loves cold things and hates hot things," Mizuki offered with a snap of her fingers.

"Like taicho!" Rangiku giggled as she bounced on the couch. "The date should be in the evening when it's a really clear day so they can watch the stars together and then cuddle and fall asleep in each other's arms! It'll be so cute!"

"Yeah! And they can have a picnic with all of their favorite foods and snacks! We can even put spinning tops and a Shoji set, so they have something to do and teach each other!" Mizuki supplied as she mimicked Rangiku. The two girls squealed happily and clapped their hands together as they had a mini celebration.

Renji rolled his eyes, "Ok, well now we have the basics down. Is that all we really need though?"

Silence snuck in like the setting sun.

"That is the best we can do, I believe, at the moment," Byakuya answered as he stood from his seat. The others followed his lead.

"Well, thank you very much for helping us, Abarai-fokutaicho, Kuchiki-taicho!" Mizuki bowed low and Rangiku nodded her head in thanks.

"We will continue this tomorrow after lunch," Byakuya stated as he sat back at his desk, "I will make sure Arisu is running errands so she will not overhear us."

Renji nodded, "Good idea. I can get Kira, Hisagi-san, Ikkaku-san, and Yumichika to help us out, too."

"I'll skip out on my paperwork so taicho has to stay in his office!" Rangiku stated with a smirk and a wink.

Mizuki laughed, "I will do the same, fokutaicho!" She mocked a salute and both girls laughed.

"On the day of the date," Byakuya cut them off, "you should at least do your paperwork so your taicho can relax." Byakuya fixed the two females with a look that said 'do-it'. The two girls nodded their heads adamantly. Renji snickered.

"We can also enlist the help of the Women's Shinigami Association and some of the taicho's!" Mizuki exclaimed. She knew for a fact that a select few of the taichos would be more than willing to help out in their plan. The others nodded in agreement.

"I will send word to the taichos," Byakuya informed. With that, he went back to his paperwork.

"Well," Renji began, "I'll walk you two out." He slid open the doors and gestured to the two females. They bowed once more to Byakuya and left the office silently.

"I think," Mizuki began as they walked slowly out of the Sixth Division barracks, "we shouldn't pick a specific date for the… date."

"Why not?" Renji asked before Rangiku could.

"Well, we should wait for the day that they both are in a really good mood and the weather is going to be really nice or else it will be disastrous," Mizuki explained as she looked between her two fellow companions.

"But," Rangiku whined, "taicho is never in a good mood!"

"He might be if you two did your paperwork," Renji offered with a sly smirk. His smirk washed away when he received two glares. He chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his neck.

"Oi! Renji!" a voice called out.

The three stopped walking and turned around at the same time to see Kuchiki Rukia running up to them. She stopped right when she reached them. She caught her breath and bowed to the females.

"Good evening, Matsumoto-fokutaicho, Hitsugaya-san!" She greeted politely. The two women waved and smiled. Rukia turned her attention back to Renji, "I heard from Nii-sama that you are going to try and get Hitsugaya-taicho and Hyoshi-san together."

Renji nodded to the others, "Yeah. We are."

Rukia squealed and bounced in her spot. "I want to help!"

Mizuki stepped up and began to jump with Rukia. "Yes! She can help us distract Arisu-chan!"

Rukia looked confused as she stopped bouncing, "Distract her? From what?"

"From us," Rangiku chirped. Then a thought hit her, "Oh no! Mizuki! We have to leave… like ten minutes ago!" She grabbed Mizuki and began to drag her away, "See you two tomorrow! Renji! Tell Rukia our plans!"

Renji could only nod before Rangiku and Mizuki Shunpoed out of sight.

Rukia sighed and turned to address Renji, "You still haven't asked Hitsugaya-san out, have you?"

Renji's only response was a defeated sigh and hanging his head.

[*]~[*]~[*]


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Bleach, story line, world, or characters included. I own only this plot and my two characters, Hitsugaya Mizuki and Hyoshi Arisu.**

INTRODUCING HYOSHI ARISU

Hyoshi Arisu walked around the Sixth Division barracks silently. The sun was setting and the temperature was dropping at a comfortable rate. Arisu was thoroughly enjoying her walk in the perfect weather. Her day off had been utterly boring and she actually found herself looking forward to going back to work tomorrow. Being a third seat meant she had a lot of important duties to attend to (mainly paperwork). She didn't like the thought that her taicho and fokutaicho had to do her work along with their own.

Arisu took in a deep breath of fresh air and held it in before letting it out slowly. She looked longingly up at the cloudy sky. She silently wished it was a clear day; it would have been a perfect night for star-gazing.

Thoughts strayed from stars to something that was always plaguing her mind: her long time crush, Hitsugaya Toshiro. Her thoughts always led to him. Even if she tried her hardest to not think of him, her heart would always win over her mind and then Hitsugaya Toshiro made a home in her heart and her mind.

Arisu sighed and felt herself sink into a depressed state as she began to sink deeper into her thoughts. Her thoughts went to memories. She thought back to the first time they had ever met…

Hyoshi Arisu quickly made her way down the busy halls with tears streaming down her face. She tried to hide them behind her bangs, but she knew that no one would care even if they did see them.

She cursed her shortness. She cursed her weakness. She cursed herself. She couldn't stand being so short, but still so smart.

Arisu burst out of the academy and ran toward her favorite tree. She had almost made it when she ran head on into someone. The force of her running knocked the person onto their back with Arisu on top of them. The person grunted under the pressure.

Arisu's eyes grew wide with fear. This was just her luck. She knew in her heart that this person was going to be mad even if it was an accident.

She got up quickly and began to grab up her books. "I-I am so sorry! Please don't hurt me! I—"

"Why would I hurt you?" a male voice asked.

Arisu dared a glance at the person who had slowly risen back to their feet. Her bright blue eyes met deep turquoise eyes in surprise. Arisu had run into a boy who looked just about her height. He had short, spiky white hair that looked as if it was never combed. She knew for a positive fact that she had never seen him before even though he was wearing the academy uniform.

With her mouth falling open, her eyes still wide, tears streaming down her face, and now a massive blush forming, Arisu was sure she looked like the strangest person to walk on the planet at the moment. She quickly began to wipe away her tears and forced a smile on her face.

"I-I'm sorry!" she laughed nervously, "I didn't mean to say that!"

The boy's white eyebrow rose in obvious question. He didn't believe her one bit. She was obviously upset even before she accidently ran into him.

Hitsugaya Toshiro eyed the small girl in front of him. He noticed, much to his pleasure, that she was smaller than him. His eyes took in her long, dark blue hair that even though it was in a ponytail, still hung past her elbows. Her large light blue eyes seemed to shine even more because of her red shot eyes and the glistening tears on her eyelashes. Her skin was ghostly pale, but still somehow was beautiful. Toshiro shook away those thoughts as he saw her getting up.

"Why were you crying?" he asked with hope that this time he could get an honest answer.

Arisu tried her best to smile and lie her way out of the situation, "I… I failed one of my exams is all. Nothing big and definitely not something you should waste your time on."

Arisu dusted herself off then began to walk away. She was trying her hardest not to break down while she was still visible to the cute boy. A hand suddenly caught her wrist and Arisu instinctively flinched away.

"You flinched," Toshiro stated as he gently released her wrist.

She tried to laugh it off again, "Well, yeah, but you scared me."

Toshiro shook his head and moved so he was standing in front of her. "You have two strikes against you. You might as well tell me the truth now."

Arisu stared at him in shock. How did he know I was lying, she asked in her head. He shouldn't even care. He shouldn't pretend to care. All of the sudden, Arisu grew angry.

"Why do you care?" she snapped. Toshiro flinched at her tone and stared at her in complete shock. She ignored the look and continued angrily, "Are you just going to go run and tell everyone else that I'm weak and that I'm crying because they bully me? Huh? Who are you anyway?"

"I'm Hitsugaya Toshiro," he responded quietly. He waited for the recognition to hit her and he wasn't disappointed.

Arisu stared at the boy in front of her as her anger flew out of her and vanished into the air. She was standing in front of the prodigy Hitsugaya Toshiro. He was the talk of the whole school. Even she, though she was in her first year and he was in his last, knew of him. She never thought she would meet him; especially like this.

"Oh…" she muttered as her gaze fell to the ground.

Toshiro sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "What's your name?"

"Hyoshi Arisu," she whispered as fresh tears welled up in her eyes. She turned to run away, but Toshiro read her movements and stopped her again.

"Tell me," Toshiro said almost angrily. He didn't miss the information she had told him a moment ago; she had practically told him why she was crying. "Why do they bully you?" he asked in the gentlest voice he could muster.

Arisu's breath caught in her throat. He sounded genuinely concerned, but it only confused her even more. Why does he care, she thought sadly.

"Why do you care?" she asked back in a broken voice. She blinked away her tears, but adamantly refused to meet his eyes. The act didn't go unnoticed by Toshiro.

He sighed again, "I get made fun of too."

Arisu's head jerked toward his and she found herself staring at him. "They make fun of you?" she asked incredulously. "What could they have on you? You are a prodigy! You could kick their all of their stupid butts and hand 'em back to them without even breaking a sweat!"

Toshiro blinked a couple of times before bursting into fits of laughter. Arisu laughed along with him after a minute of questioning his and her own sanity in her head.

"That…" Toshiro breathed, "that's the first time I think I've ever heard someone say something like that about me!"

Arisu tilted her head to the side, "Really? Why?"

Toshiro fixed her with a 'you-know-why' look, but Arisu remained confused. "I'm vertically challenged, if you will."

Arisu stared at him with a blank look on her face. She took a step closer to him until their chests were almost touching. Her eyes came up to his chin. She huffed and took a step back.

"You have no room to talk," she spat.

Toshiro rolled his eyes dramatically. "It's natural for girls to be short. It's cute."

Even though Arisu's cheeks heated up at the comment, she still grew tense. "I am NOT cute."

Toshiro smirked, "Yeah you are, short stuff."

Arisu's jaw dropped and her eyes bulged. "How dare you!" More tears welled up in her eyes and she furiously wiped them away. "Here I thought you were actually different from them, but I see I was wrong. Way wrong."

Catching Toshiro completely off-guard, Arisu Shunpoed away…

Arisu sighed as she sat down on one of her couches in her personal quarters. She brought out one of her old journals (she refused to call them 'diaries') and began flipping through the pages. She was feeling oddly nostalgic this evening and, of course, almost all of the memories she had written in her journal were about Toshiro.

She smiled as she remembered how he had worked really hard to get her to talk to him after he had insulted her during their first meeting. He had apologized a hundred times before Arisu even looked in his direction…

"Hyoshi," Toshiro pleaded, "look at me! I want to apologize to you, but you need to look at me!"

Arisu huffed, but made no other reaction to the other's pleas. She couldn't exactly understand why he was trying so hard to get her to accept his apology, but she tried not to dwell on the thought. If she did, she would crack and end up accepting his apology. That just wouldn't do.

"Hyoshi," Toshiro groaned as his hand collided with his forehead. He wasn't entirely sure why he was trying so hard to get back on her good side. Well, he thought, he had never really been on her good side in the first place.

Arisu began to grumble when she realized she couldn't memorize the Kido incantation she was studying. Toshiro was making it hard for her to concentrate on her studies at all. She was smart, but not as smart as him. A small voice in her head told her to ask him for advice, but a louder voice told her to keep trying on her own and that she didn't need his advice.

Toshiro noticed Arisu's frustration and peered around her to glance at the book she was studying. Toshiro knew she was very smart; almost as smart as him, he would guess. While she was very smart, she was also very clumsy and a bit forgetful. That was why she couldn't truly be called a prodigy; her Kido wasn't very good because she couldn't remember the incantations.

"Let me help you," Toshiro offered gently. "Break it down and memorize one line at a time. The moment you can recite the line perfectly without second-guessing yourself or hesitating, add the next line to it. Don't try and memorize it all at once; that's impossible for anyone."

Arisu opened her mouth to voice her gratitude, but quickly stopped herself. She 'hmphed' and went back to reading. She heard Toshiro sigh and move to where he was sitting with his back against the tree beside her. She began to feel guilty.

"Why…" she hesitated when she saw his head jerk in her direction, "why do you want me to forgive you so much? You should just go be with your friends…"

"I don't have any," Toshiro responded quietly. "People barely talk to me. They're intimidated by the fact that I'm a 'prodigy'. They all think that because I'm so smart, I don't need friends… I got used to it after my first year and just focused even more on my studies. And here I am now, three years later, about to graduate early at the top of my class, and yet I don't have one friend…" Toshiro sighed and shook his head. He never could understand why he couldn't make friends. It was a curse that had followed him from Rukongai.

"I'll be your friend…" Arisu whispered.

Toshiro whipped around and stared at her in shock. "Really?"

Arisu smiled sweetly at him, "Of course. You're really nice and I know what you're feeling. We both really need a good friend and I want to be that friend for you." Suddenly, her smile fell and she looked sad. "But you're graduating this year and I'm only in my first year…"

It was Toshiro's turn to smile, "We can still be friends no matter what. We can go into the same division together. Let's pick it now!"

Arisu blinked a couple of times before she giggled. Toshiro looked so excited. He was usually so serious, but now here he was smiling and wiggling in his spot like a child. It was so cute.

"What division are you going into?" Arisu asked. "Since I'm only in my first year, I don't really know that much about them…"

"I was thinking about the Tenth Division under Shiba-taicho," Toshiro answered with an affirmative nod.

"Have you met him before?" Arisu curiously asked.

Toshiro shrugged, "Yeah. He's not all that anything to be proud of. His fokutaicho is worse though."

"Who is the fokutaicho?" Arisu questioned as her book slipped from her lap and tumbled to the ground. She lost her page, but she didn't notice as her undivided attention was on Toshiro.

Toshiro scoffed, "Her name is Matsumoto Rangiku. She's crazy! I mean—wait, have I told you why I wanted to become a Shinigami before?" Arisu shook her head signifying a negative answer to his question. "Well… I guess I should start there…"

Arisu shook her head clear of memories as her tea pot began to shriek for attention. She leapt up and quickly took the pot off of the stove. She got out a cup for herself and sighed.

After she forgave Toshiro, they tried to see each other as much as possible. They became great friends. Toshiro would tutor her occasionally. They would even spar. Far too soon for either of their liking, the year ended and Toshiro graduated. He was immediately accepted into the Tenth Division as the third seat. On the day of his graduation, they promised to stay friends even though they weren't going to see one another for a long time. Toshiro promised to stay in the Tenth Division until Arisu graduated and Arisu promised to try to get accepted into the Tenth Division. Five years later, Arisu graduated and Toshiro, the newly appointed taicho of the Tenth Division, offered her the seventh seat in his division. Arisu accepted the offer with a large smile on her face and tears in her eyes.

Arisu was brought out of her thoughts and fixed herself a cup of jasmine tea. She smiled as the sweet scent teased her nostrils. A new memory intruded into her mind…

"But Taicho!" Matsumoto Rangiku whined loudly.

Hitsugaya Toshiro pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance as he tried to keep his voice even, "Matsumoto… You are the fokutaicho of this division and you have a duty to do you paperwork…"

"I will!" Rangiku tried to convince the young taicho, "I will… tomorrow! Tonight, I want to go drinking with my friends! Please!"

Hyoshi Arisu giggled as she watched the scene unfold in front of her. She was the new seventh seat in the division. She just came in to drop off her finished paperwork when she accidently found Rangiku's hidden (and unfinished) paperwork stacks under the couch.

Toshiro looked like his last nerve had been plucked, "Matsumoto—"

"I can do her work, Taicho," Arisu cut off. She quickly bowed in apology for cutting him off.

Toshiro turned around to look at Arisu. He stared at his long-time friend and brand new seventh seat. He was not going to let her do this because he knew that Rangiku would then use her kindness.

Before he could tell her no, Arisu's face turned to pure confusion. Toshiro could see her eyes were focused on something behind him. He turned with the expectation to see only his fokutaicho standing behind him, but instead he was greeted with an empty room and his door cracked open.

"MATSUMOTO!" Toshiro shouted angrily at the top of his lungs.

The whole tenth barracks shook and Arisu trembled in fear. She had never heard Toshiro shout before.

Toshiro began grumbling under his breath as he slammed his door shut. He turned around and his turquoise eyes fell on a trembling Arisu. Her eyes were wide in fear. Toshiro immediately felt a wave a guilt crash onto his shoulders.

"Hyoshi… I'm sorry you had to witness that," he apologized.

Arisu quickly regained her control over herself and nervously laughed it off. "It's ok, Taicho! No need to apologize! It's just… that was the first time I have ever heard you shout."

"Sadly," Toshiro replied as he moved behind his desk, "it won't be the last." He sighed as he sat down and glared at the new stacks of paperwork on his desk.

Arisu giggled, "I figured as much. You are a taicho after all." A look of admiration filled Arisu's face as she stepped up to the side of Toshiro's desk. "You as a taicho… that is just so amazing! I'm standing right here with you in front of me and I still can't believe it! It must be the best position in the world!"

Toshiro gave her an amused look, "It's not all fun and games, you know."

"Oh I know!" Arisu confirmed with an eager nod of her head, "That's not what I meant. I mean… It suits you. Ah, uh, being a taicho and all, I mean!" Arisu blushed in embarrassment. Her gaze fell to stare at Toshiro's desk.

Toshiro smirked at Arisu's compliment and obvious embarrassment. He set his chin on the back of his left hand and said, "Well, thank you, Hyoshi."

Arisu smiled, but it disappeared when she looked at the paperwork in front of her. "I can help you finish that."

Toshiro sighed, "Thank you, but—"

Arisu cut him off, "No buts, taicho! I am at your service!"

"Uh," Toshiro blushed as his thoughts strayed from the right path at Arisu's words. "Th-thank you…" He quickly gave her some papers, "Uh, you can sit at Matsumoto's desk and do these…"

Arisu nodded and accepted the papers with a small smile. She quickly made her way over to the large desk and climbed up onto the large chair. Just as her brush was about to touch the paper, an idea hit her.

"Taicho?" she called gently.

Toshiro paused in his signature and glanced up. "Yes?"

"Would you like some tea?" Arisu asked sweetly. She had been drinking some of her favorite tea in her office and had meant to finish it after she dropped off her papers, but by now it would be disgustingly cold. She was craving some warm tea.

Toshiro fully looked up at her, "Uh, yeah, that sounds great actually."

Arisu grinned happily as she quickly left the room to go and make some. She quickly set to work in the barrack's tiny kitchen and made a pot of jasmine tea for her and her taicho. She sniffed happily at the wonderful aroma that filled the halls. She tried not to think too much about the fact that she was getting alone time with Toshiro after so many years of not seeing him. Her heart thundered as she suddenly grew nervous.

She took a deep breath as she found herself standing in front of Toshiro's open office door. She let out her breath as she entered as silently as possible.

Toshiro looked up as a sweet smell invaded his office. He watched as Arisu slowly walked in with a trey in her small hands. He wondered if she knew that jasmine tea was his favorite.

"I didn't know what your favorite tea was," Arisu explained as she poured him a cup, "so I just made my favorite: jasmine." She held out her hand with the steaming cup in it, but Toshiro was too shocked to move and get it. Arisu hesitated, "Uh, if you don't like jasmine, I can go make you another kind…"

"No!" Toshiro said quickly. He quickly took the cup out of her hands and took a long swig. He found himself slumping back in his chair as the warm liquid flowed through his body. "Jasmine is my favorite, too."

Arisu's mouth fell open. "Really?"

Toshiro chuckled at her expression, "Yeah. I was just as surprised as you are."

The two shared a silent moment as they stared at one another with smiles on both of their faces. Then, at the same time, they both blushed and looked away. Arisu quickly returned to Rangiku's desk and Toshiro turned his attention back to the paper in front of him…

Arisu finished her cup and put it away. She began her normal routine of getting ready for bed. As she snuggled into her blanket to warm herself, a thought repeated over and over in her head as it did every night.

Does Toshiro hate me, she asked.

Wiggling around at the horrifying thought, Arisu took a deep breath to hopefully clear away her brimming tears. She closed her eyes tightly and forced all thoughts from her mind so a dreamless sleep could take her away.

[*]~[*]~[*]


End file.
